The Depth of God

Just some verses and a couple of quotes I've been focusing on in my studies.  I'm grateful for the wisdom of God, for His all-knowing and all-seeing understanding.  I'm grateful that I can put full confidence in the direction He points me and in the learning experiences He gives...  for I know that He sees the bigger picture.

-Alicia

"Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God." - 1 Cor. 2:9-10

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." - Isaiah 55:8-9

 "Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend." - Mosiah 4:9

"The Lord worketh in many ways to the salvation of his people." - Alma 24:27

"By small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise."- Alma 37:6

"The Lord will lead us along, just as promised. He balances giving to the Church and its people the needed, specific directions, with providing the relevant learning experiences, including having our faith and patience tried in order to be strengthened. Thus He leads us along, but He desires that during that process we take His yoke upon us in order to learn of Him by our personal experiences. We surely feel the weight of that yoke at times, but the path is clear." - Neal A. Maxwell

"A universal God is actually involved with our small, individual universes of experience! In the midst of His vast dominions, yet He numbers us, knows us, and loves us perfectly."- Neal A. Maxwell

The Gift of Charity

The three-part series of books Elder David A. Bednar has written, all come with an interactive CD with segments corresponding to each chapter.  Being out of school for a semester, I'm able to dive back into this study and it's been so great!  This morning as I was listening to some of these segments and I was particularly struck by this discussion Elder Bednar had with a woman in the audience.  

Woman:    In your book, “Act in Doctrine”, you talk about that ultimately the gift of Charity posses us – we don’t posses it.  How do we know if Charity is possessing us?

Elder Bednar:    You’ll have to listen carefully to this answer –ok.  It will strike a little abruptly - given  the nature of your question.  
I really believe that the more we have [charity], the more we quit wondering if we have it...  We get in a mode of  “I want to get this” and I would suggest that the very mode of “I want to get this” gets in the way of us getting it... It's a turn to the Savior because we’re trying to get this but there’s a little bit of looking back.  A spiritual gift like Charity is when it’s about blessing somebody else, it’s not about us being able to say “yeah, I got this”… the more we get out of the way, the more it can be brought to us.

I believe what Elder Bednar is teaching here is the same concept C.S. Lewis illustrates about humility when the Satan figure in his book, Uncle Screwtape, is teaching his nephew, Wormwood, how to destroy a Christian;

"Your patient has become humble; have you drawn his attention to the fact? All virtues are less formidable to us once the man is aware that he has them, but this is especially true of humility. Catch him at the moment when he is really poor in spirit and smuggle into his mind the gratifying reflection, 'By jove! I’m being humble', and almost immediately pride—pride at his own humility—will appear. If he awakes to the danger and tries to smother this new form of pride, make him proud of his attempt—and so on, through as many stages as you please"

The Lord wants us to seek after the gift of Charity, in fact we are commanded to "pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that we may be filled with this love" (Moroni 7:48)  But in order for it to be bestowed, our "eye must be single to the glory of God" and it must not be exploited to get personal gain, to "look good, or appear good" or to glorify ourselves in any way.  Our hearts must be sincere and our motives must be pure.  

"True meekness has a metabolism that actually requires very little praise or recognition—of which there is usually such a shortage anyway. Most of the time, the sponge of selfishness quickly soaks up everything in sight, including praise intended for others." - Elder Neal A. Maxwell

I think the same can be said about true charity.

Elder Maxwell warns, "Be careful of the natural man’s milder expressions—craving for credit and rustling for recognition. Alas, so often the hearts and even the moral agency of others can be crushed in the search for self-glorification."

C. S. Lewis explained this teaching of the Savior: “The moment you have a self at all, there is a possibility of putting yourself first—wanting to be the centre—wanting to be God, in fact. That was the sin of Satan"

President Gordon B. Hinckley would say, “He who lives only unto himself withers and dies, while he who forgets himself in the service of others grows and blossoms in this life and in eternity.”

This is what I want to learn - to forget mySELF, but I must remember “that the very mode of ‘I want to get this’ gets in the way of [me] getting it…. A spiritual gift like Charity is when it’s about blessing somebody else" The whole entire idea of "self" must be taken out of the equation.

I think a great talk to go with these thoughts I've had today was given in April 2009 by Dallin H. Oaks - "Unselfish Service"  I'm so thankful for the wisdom and counsel of these wise men who have been called of God to help keep me in the right way.  I need their guidance.  

-Alicia

Symbols of Surrender

In 3 Nephi Chapter 27, the Savior speaks a great deal about baptism.  I love the imagery of surrendering our whole souls to God as one is baptized.  I've been thinking a great deal about other places where we find symbols of surrender.

In 3 Nephi 24, the Savior quotes Malachi 3 when He invites the multitude to be refined and purified through Him like silver and purged as gold.  In verse 10, He testifies of tithes and offerings. (Hearing this, I also think of fasting.) Personally trusting and acting upon these truths are symbols of surrender.

The Savior laying prostrate on the ground as He prayed in Gethsemane pouring out blood and soul, both there and on the cross; bruised, broken, and torn for us, is a beautiful symbol of the most humble surrender. Matt 26:36-46 Matt 27:32-56

Where else in the scriptures can we see these symbols?  Do we see other symbols of surrender in the Temple besides just baptism?

In the Conference Report of October 1966 President Howard W. Hunter said,
 "One of the great writers has penned: 'Peace does not dwell in outward things, but within the soul; we may preserve it in the midst of the bitterest pain, if our will remains firm and submissive. Peace in this life springs from acquiescence, not in an exemption from suffering.' (Fenelon.)

Emerson wrote: 'Nothing can bring you peace but yourself; nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles.' (Essay, 'Self-Reliance.') These principles are incorporated into the gospel of Jesus Christ. Indifference to the Savior or failure to keep the commandments of God brings about insecurity, inner turmoil, and contention. These are the opposite of peace. Peace can come to an individual only by an unconditional surrender—surrender to him who is the Prince of peace (Isa. 9:6), who has the power to confer peace."

Interesting that there is the pattern again about how to find rest and peace to our soul.
...Just some things I'll be thinking about today.

-Alicia

Learning Meekness - Finding Rest

As I was studying in Moroni, I noticed chapters 7, 9, and 10 all mention the word "rest." Upon reading this word, I felt a desire to extract it off the page, swallow it like a pill, and have its remedial effects penetrate deep into every fiber of my heart. While contemplating its consumption, I remembered that I had already been taught how to obtain rest. I have written about this before - Rest comes from coming unto Christ and "learning meekness." - Matthew 11:29-30

To have this rest I so desperately desire, I must become meek. I began to search as many conference talks or BYU speeches I could find on meekness. I found several and saved quotes from each of them. I hit a gold mine when I opened up this one by Neal A. Maxwell - "Meek and Lowly"

I took down some portions that really struck me.

"The full witness often does not come 'until after the trial of your faith' (Ether 12:6). Those trials may be very focused. President Lorenzo Snow once said to the Twelve of his day, 'Every one of us who has not already had the experience must yet meet it of being tested in every place where we are weak' (Abraham H. Cannon journal, April 9, 1890). Indeed, did not the Lord specifically promise the meek that he would make 'weak things become strong unto them' (Ether 12:27)

“Did Paul not speak knowingly of the ‘fellowship of [Christ’s] sufferings’ (Philippians 3:10)? Are we not told that meekness is so vital that God actually gives us certain challenges in order to keep us humble (Ether 12:27)? Did not Peter write regarding how Christians should expect to be familiar with fiery trials (1 Peter 4:12)? Furthermore, as the disciple enriches his relationship with the Lord, he is apt to have periodic ‘public relations’ problems with others, being misrepresented and misunderstood . He or she will have to 'take it' at times. Meekness, therefore, is a key to deepening discipleship.” - Elder Neal A. Maxwell - BYU Oct. 21, 1986 - Meek and Lowly

After reading these, It occurred to me that meekness is meant to grow out of weakness. Grateful for this imagery, such a realization helps me embrace the pain that accompanies areas where I am weak - like fully embracing the cutting, yet skillful, blade in the hands of the Master Physician. In striving to sincerely submit my will to His, I may be misrepresented or misunderstood by others and whatever comes of that, I must "take it!"

To renforce this principle of pain being part of the proceedure, C.S. Lewis said:

"[So God is, then, something like a divine physician.] A cruel man might be bribed—might grow tired of his vile sport—might have a temporary fit of mercy, as alcoholics have [temporary] fits of sobriety. But suppose that what you are up against is a [wonderfully skilled] surgeon whose intentions are [solely and absolutely] good. [Then], the kinder and more conscientious he is, [the more he cares about you,] the more inexorably he will go on cutting [in spite of the suffering it may cause. And] if he yielded to your entreaties, if he stopped before the operation was complete, all the pain up to that point would have been useless. . . . [pp. 49–50]

[So I am, you see, one] of God’s patients, not yet cured. I know there are not only tears [yet] to be dried but stains [yet] to be scoured. [My] sword will be made even brighter. [C. S. Lewis, A Grief Observed (New York: Seabury Press, Inc., 1961 p. 49]"

In Elder Neal A. Maxwell's talk, he lists characteristics of the truly meek. I laid them out and read them over and over again, wanting to burn them into memory. I have so much to learn! I'm grateful the Lord is patient with me as I stumble and fall along the way. He kindly guides me and brings healing to my heart. In Him, I truly do find rest to my soul.

-Alicia

Characteristics of the Truly Meek

1. Serious disciples are not only urged to do good but also to avoid growing weary of doing good (see Galatians 6:9 and Helaman 10:5).
2. They are not only urged to speak the truth but also to speak the truth in love (see Ephesians 4:15).
3. They are not only urged to endure all things but also to endure them well (see D&C 121:8).
4. They are not only urged to be devoted to God’s cause but also to be prepared to sacrifice all things, giving, if necessary, the last full measure of devotion (see Lectures on Faith 6:7).
5. They are not only to do many things of worth but are also to focus on the weightier matters, the things of most worth (see Matthew 23:23).
6. They are not only urged to forgive but also to forgive seventy times seven (see Matthew 18:21–22).
7. They are not only to be engaged in good causes, but also they are to be “anxiously engaged” (see D&C 58:27).
8. They are not only to do right but also to do right for the right reasons.
9. They are told to get on the strait and narrow path, but then are told that this is only the beginning, not the end (see 2 Nephi 31:19–20).
10. They are not only to endure enemies but also to pray for them and to love them (see Matthew 5:44).
11. They are urged not only to worship God but, astoundingly, they are instructed to strive to become like him! (See Matthew 5:48; 3 Nephi 12:48, 27:27.)
12. In the midst of all these things,” they are given a Sabbath day for rest, during which they do the sweetest but often the hardest work of all.
13. The meek individual may not, to be sure, always fully decipher what is happening to him or around him. However, even though he does not “know the meaning of all things,” he knows that the Lord loves him (see 1 Nephi 11:17).
14. He may feel overwhelmed, but, unlike the proud, he is not out of control. In fact, in some moments it is important for us to “Be still, and know that [he is] God” (Psalms 46:10). Even articulate discipleship has its side of silent certitude!
15. True meekness has a metabolism that actually requires very little praise or recognition.
16. The greater his knowledge, the greater his meekness. The more he strives to become like Jesus and the more he wishes to declare his gospel, the more he rejoices exceedingly when Christ’s message is heeded. - Elder Neal A. Maxwell - BYU Oct. 21, 1986 - Meek and Lowly